Grain-saving device for thrashing machines



Jul 29, 1924. 1,502.702

L. H. WAGNER GRAIN SAVING DEVICE FOR 'rrirmsnme MACHINES Filed 061;. 2%,1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l 16 19 uglsff Wagner July 29 1924.

L.- H. WAGNER GRAIN SAVING DEVICE FOR wmmsume mcgwss Filed 20 1923 2Sheets-Shoot 2 Lou is H ZLhyner witness Patented July 29, 1924.

PATENT FEICE- LOUIS H. WAGNER, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THEINDIANA MANU- FACTUBING COMPANY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A CORPORATIONOF WEST VIRGINIA.

GRAIILSAVING DEVICE FOR THR-ASHING MACHINES.

Application filed October 20, 1923. Serial No. 669,721.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS H. TAGNER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-SavingDevices for Thrashing Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

Grain saving wind stackers forming part of thrashing machines haveheretofore re: quired especial and comparatively expensive workmanshipin manufacture, as it has been the practice to build into the stackerstructure the elements cooperating with the stacker fan for savinggrain, usually necessitating a fan drum of peculiar arrange-. ment, anauxiliary blast pipe and other parts, all assembled in such manner thatthe stacker as a whole including such grain saving parts could bereadily attached in the factory to a thrashing machine as a unitarystructure. In the use of thrashing machines in the field it is common toship a wind stacker to the thrasherman for attachment by him to hismachine to replace aworn out stacker or substitute a grain savingstacker for the non-grain saving type.

Removal of an old stacker and attachment of a new one involvesconsiderable labor, and especially when the substitution is of the grainsaving type, which requires certain additional workmanship. It is myobject to provide a unitary grain saving device for wind stackers whichmay be readily attached to an existing stacker at the factory or in thefield without changing or disturbing the original construction of thestacker; in other words, where the stacker is of the common or non-grainsaving type my device can be readily attached thereto without removingthestacker from the thrashing ma chine, and such stacker thus convertedinto a grain saving stacker of like efliciency as if originally soconstructed, all as will be hereinafter more particularly described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a wind stacker showing my improvement attached thereto,taken on the dotted line 11 in Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a transverse sectionalview taken on the dotted line 22 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a detail sectionalview of my attachment taken on the dotted line 33 in Fig. 1; Fig. 4;, aplan of the device; Fig.

5, a horizontal sectional view of the cone veyer driving mechanism, andFig. 6 an end view of the conveyer and its casing which communicateswith the ordinary tailings auger-box of a thrashing machine.

In said drawings the portions marked, 5, and, 6, respectively, indicatea wind stacker drum and fanrof any appropriate character, and, 7, thedischarge outlet of said drum.

My improvement comprises a plate, 8, hav-. ing at its upper end a lip orair retainer, 9, adapted to extend into the fan drum 5 in a horizontalposition so that a circular eye or inlet to the fan drum will be of ahorizontal character at its lower side, as indicated in Fig. 1. To saidplate 8 I attach end walls, 10, 11, which are connected at their outeredges by a bar or member 12, having integrally formed therewith orotherwise secured thereto a series of grates, 14, and extendingdownwardly from said bar 12 is a hopper wall, 15, said end walls, gratesand hopper constituting a grain trap for receiving and precipitatingloose grain to a conveyer, 16, beneath to be returned to the tailingsauger, 17, of the thrashing machine and thus saved. Said auger conveyer16, its driving mechanism, '18, and housing, 19, are of a well-knowncharacter and need not be further specifically referred to herein exceptthat at the delivery end of the auger I scallop its housing 19, as at20, so that it may be bent around the inlet to tailings auger-housing,21, and said two elements thus etliciently connected. Across the outeredges of the grate bars 14 I provide a support, 22, to which the edge ofthe ordinary hopper, 23, is secured. As said support 22 is considerablyabove grates 14 a space 22" is left between these parts, whichconstitutes a vent through which air from outside the machine iswithdrawn with such velocity as to create a draft across the grates 14:into the fan so that material passing from hopper 23 over said gratesbecomes subjected to a winnowing operation which separates loose grainkernels from the straw, chaff, etc., and obviates the necessity, ofemploying an auxiliary blast pipe for such purpose as has been common.

It will be understood that in order to attach my device to a constructedstacker the hopper 23 is cut away sufliciently to provide an opening tosnugly receive the .for auger housing 19,

upper grate portions of the device to which the surrounding edges of thehopper are connected, the plate 8 having been bolted to the fan drum.However, in making such attachment an opening is first cut into tailingsauger housing 21 to provide an entrance and, when fitting the device, inorder to assure that the auger conveyer will be at the proper angle, Iprovide slots, 24, in its wall, 25, so that the auger structure can beadjustably bolted to plate 8, which permits its slight movement, and tocompensate for any opening which might be caused by its downwardmovement I provide the slot and bolt attachment, 26, for the hopper wall15.

In this manner I provide a unitary grain saving attachment for windstackers under course of manufacture or already in use, which in theform as indicated in Fig. 4 is of an assembled compact character and incondition to be readily attached to a Wind stacker without modifying thestacker other than to provide an opening in its hopper to accommodatethe upper or grate portion of the device, as heretofore explained.

I claim as my invention:

1. A grain saving device for thrashing machines comprising an attachinplate embodying an air retainer adapts to be secured to a fan drum, ahopper, grain trapping grates above said hopper, a conveyer adjustablysecured to said plate, and means for actuating said conveyer.

2. A grain saving'device for thrashing machines comprising an attachingplate adapted to be secured to a stacker fan drum, a grain trapembodying grates and a hopper secured to said plate, a conveyer securedto said plate, and means for actuating said conveyer to discharge grainconveyed thereinto by said trap.

3. A grain saving device for thrashing machines comprising an attachingplate, a grain trap embodying grates and a hopper secured to said plate,said trap having a vent adjacent said grates, a conveyer secured to saidplate having flexible means at its end for connection to a tailingsauger, and means for actuating said conveyer.

4. A grain saving device for thrashing machines comprising an attachingplate, a combined grate trap and hopper secured thereto, and a conveyersecured to said plate beneath said hopper for conveying material fromthe latter. a

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

LOUIS H. WAGNER.

